Reaching a Consensus on the Definition of Telerehabilitation: World Federation of Neurorehabilitation Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group

Authors

  • Annie J. Hill Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3907-8369
  • Kirsten Stangenberg-Gliss University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim, Germany https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5901-7359
  • Yeşim Kurtais Aytür Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0291-3850
  • Pamela Enderby Department of Medicine and Population Science, University of Sheffield, United KingdomK. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4371-9053
  • Claudine Auger Faculty of Medicine, School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0159-2004
  • Ali Gamal Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum North, Technical Medical College, Physiotherapy Department, Khartoum, Sudan.
  • Carl Froilan Leochico Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2928-2083

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63144/ijt.2025.6708

Keywords:

Consensus, Consensus e-Delphi, Telerehabilitation

Abstract

The research into and the adoption of telerehabilitation has greatly expanded over the last two decades. With this increasing level of interest in telerehabilitation there is a need for a comprehensive definition. The Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group of the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation is comprised of a diverse group of researchers from over 30 countries and so is well placed to reach a consensus on a definition of telerehabilitation and disseminate this widely. An e-Delphi approach was employed within the special interest group to reach a consensus on the definition. The agreed comprehensive definition of telerehabilitation includes a formal definition, an abbreviated version and a lay version, each with distinct purposes. A description of the scope of telerehabilitation is included, as well as an overview of the various modes of telerehabilitation. It is anticipated that this definition of telerehabilitation may assist researchers, clinicians, advocates and policy makers in a range of purposes.

  

References

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Published

2025-06-12

How to Cite

Hill, A. J., Stangenberg-Gliss, K., Kurtais Aytür, Y., Enderby, P., Auger, C., Gamal, A., & Leochico, C. F. (2025). Reaching a Consensus on the Definition of Telerehabilitation: World Federation of Neurorehabilitation Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.63144/ijt.2025.6708

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Viewpoint

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Anne J. Hill, Kirsten Stangenberg-Gliss, Yeşim Kurtais Aytür, Pamela Enderby, Claudine Auger, Ali Gamal, Carl Froilan Leochico

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.